Closure device for general containers

ABSTRACT

A closure device for general containers, comprising a body member adapted to be sealingly secured within a performed bore of a container, an opened-end hollow cylindrical element screwing in said body member between re-entered and extracted positions for allowing the material within the container to exit and a plug which can be sealingly screwed in said cylindrical element. The plug is connected to said body member by a tear off removable strip and the closure device is also provided with means for clamping the hollow cylindrical element at its extracted position and means for preventing said cylindrical element from completely exiting.

United States Patent Tim CLOSURE DEVICE FOR GENERAL CONTAINERS [4 1 May 2, 1972 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 566,472 ll/l958 Canada ..220/85 Primary ExaminerGeorge T. Hall Attorney-Yount and Tarolli [57] ABSTRACT A closure device for general containers, comprising a body member adapted to be sealingly secured within a performed bore ofa container, an opened-end hollow cylindrical element screwing in said body member between re-entered and extracted positions for allowing the material within the container to exit and a plug which can be sealingly screwed in said cylindrical element. The plug is connected to said body member by a tear off removable strip and the closure device is also provided with means for clamping the hollow cylindrical element at its extracted position and means for preventing said cylindrical element from completely exiting.

7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures Patented May 2, 1972 I N VENTOR FRANCESCO 7'//V/ BY Wade/M ATTORNEY CLOSURE DEVICE FOR GENERAL CONTAINERS This invention relates to a closure device for general containers, and more particularly to a closure device having an extractable hollow cylindrical element to enable easier pouring of the material into the container, such as a metal box or can, for containing liquids or materials suitable to be poured.

A closure device according to the present invention substantially comprises a body member adapted to be sealingly secured within a suitable bore preformed in the container, an extractable hollow cylindrical element, a closure plug for said cylindrical element and a tear off type of seal; however, the main feature of the claimed closure device is that such a closure device is formed in only two pieces, namely a first piece comprising said securing body member and plug which are made fast with each other by the guarantee seal, and a second piece comprising the hollow cylindrical element.

Another feature of the closure device according to the present invention is that in operation, or as the guarantee seal has been torn off, the closure device is formed of three portions which can be sealingly screwed in one another so that by a single unscrewing or screwing operation the possibility is achieved for the hollow cylindrical element exit and plug removal and, respectively, plug re-insertion and cylindrical element re-enter. The closure device according to the present invention is also provided with means for clamping the cylindrical element at its extracted position to prevent it from casually re-entering during withdrawal of the liquid or other material from the container.

The advantages provided by the closure device according to the present invention are of an economical character in that the construction in only two pieces of the closure device allows for a reduction in molding operations and times, assembling operations and times for the elements, thus reducing the cost of the finished product, and of a practical character as well since the opening operation of the device is made easier, a single unscrewing operation being required, and the product withdrawal is made more reliable both for the provision of the extractable cylindrical element and clamping means for the latter at its extracted position.

These and other characteristics of the plug closure device according to the present invention will become more apparent in connection with the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational, partly sectional view of the closure device according to the present invention at its assembled condition prior to use; and

FIG. 2 shows the closure device in FIG. 1 during use and with the hollow cylindrical element being extracted.

As seen in FIG. I, this figure showing the closure device according to the present invention at its assembled condition and prior to use, the body member 1 and plug 2 are joined to each other by the guarantee seal 4 which is substantially formed of a circular strip provided with a tear off extension 5, the latter being concurrently and integrally formed with body member 1 and plug 2. Thus, body member I, plug 2 and seal 4 are integrally formed of plastic material by a single molding operation. In turn, the hollow element 3 is separately formed by an independent molding operation. The two parts thus formed are next assembled, as shown in FIG. 1 and explained hereinafter.

As from the drawings, the body member 1 is provided at the top with a circular flange 6 on which a downward facing rim 7 is formed, this rim coacting with flange 6 to enable a sealing snap fastening of body member 1 within a suitable bore preset on a container (not shown).

Body member I has centrally thereof a hole for introducing an axial sliding of the hollow cylindrical element 3 within which the plug is sealingly inserted.

As seen in FIG. 1, outwardly of element 3 a thread 8 is formed and engages a corresponding auxiliary thread formed inside the bore of body 1. Similarly, outside the plug 2 a thread 9 is formed and engages a corresponding auxiliary thread inside element 3. The outer thread 8 on element 3 and the corresponding auxiliary thread on body member 1 are of a different pitch or lead, and particularly larger than that of the threads on plug 2 and the inner thread on said element 3. Thus, upon removal of seal 4, by operating on plug 2 to rotate it counterclockwise, first the element 3 is caused to exit and then plug 2, as clearly shown in FIG. 2.

In order to prevent element 3 from being entirely removed from body member 1, at the lower end of element 3 a stop abutment is provided, comprising a flanged portion 10, radially outwardly projecting and engaging the lower surface of body member 1 to avoid complete unscrewing of said element 3, as clearly made apparent in FIG. 2 of the appended drawings.

Further, in order to secure said hollow cylindrical element 3 at its extracted position, it was devised to provide the latter with a clamping means substantially comprising an outer circular rib 11, formed just above and short of the projecting flange l0 and engaging a corresponding annular seat 12 formed internally of the bore in body member I and adjacent its lower edge.

To facilitate the engagement and disengagement of rib 11 with its seat 12 in body member I, a circular slot 13 is provided about said seat 12, so that the latter is on an axial circular flange 14 which can be easily resiliently flexed or deformed for allowing the engagement between said rib 11 and seat 12; additionally, this slot 13 is essential either for stripping the male from the die, or for forcibly inserting the cylindrical element 3.

As shown in FIG. I, in body member I a gap 18 is provided about plug 2 for allowing a finger grip of said plug 2 and concurrently holding the upper surface of plug 2 adjacent flange 7; this is essential for the containers incorporating the closure device according to the invention to be filled by overturned automatic systems.

As above stated, the hollow cylindrical element 3 is assembled within the closure device by forcing it into the bore of body member 1 so that the several threaded portions will exactly mate to one another. To this end, the body member I and plug 2 are made of plastic material, while element 3 is made of rigid plastic material. Further and still to facilitate the assembling of element 3 and simultaneously to prevent the assembled element 3 from being unloosened, the upper edge of the latter has been so formed as to have a peripheral rib 15, the outer surface of which has an upward inward tapered upper portion 16 (FIG. 2) to facilitate the insertion of element 3, and a downward inward tapered lower portion 17 (FIG. 2) resting against a corresponding tapered surface 17' formed at the top of said body member at its axial hole to prevent element 3 from being removed when assembled. The upper end of element 3 also fits in a corresponding seat 19 in plug 2 at said guarantee seal 4.

From the foregoing and as shown in the appended drawings, it is purposed to have provided a closure device for general containers of an economical construction and high practicality in use, as by screw extraction of the plug of the hollow cylindrical element 3, during emptying the leakage is avoided for the material in the container as often occurs with the prior art tear off opening devices; it is also to be understood that the matter above disclosed and shown in the appended drawings has been given by mere way of example and that variations can be made thereto without departing for this from the covering field of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A closure device for general containers, comprising a body member adapted to be sealingly secured to an opening of a container, an open-ended hollow cylindrical element extending longitudinally within and from a bore in said body member, a closure plug constructed of the same material and integral with said body member and severable therefrom by means of an interconnecting tear away guarantee seal circular strip having a tab extending therefrom by which said seal may be torn away to sever the connection between said body member and said closure plug, said closure plug being removably secured to one end of said element to provide a closure therefore, said element being configured so that when said seal is torn away said element may be moved through said body member from a normal position to an extracted position, and means for preventing a complete exit of said element from said body member in said extracted position.

2. A closure device according to claim 1, wherein said element is provided at one end with an outer thread mating with a corresponding auxiliary thread in the bore of said body member, the other end of said hollow element being provided with an outwardly projecting portion to provide for a stop abutment against the lower surface of said body member in order to prevent said cylindrical element from completely exiting.

3. A closure device according to claim 1, wherein said plug is provided with an outer thread mating with a corresponding auxiliary thread inside said hollow cylindrical element.

4. A closure device according to claim 3, further provided with clamping means for the hollow cylindrical element at its extracted position, said means comprising an outer circular rib formed adjacent the lower end of said cylindrical element, said rib engaging a corresponding annular seat in the bore of said body member at the lower edge thereof.

5. A closure device according to claim 4, wherein a circular slot is provided in said body member at said annular seat, so that said seat is formed on a resiliently deformable axial flange to facilitate the engagement and disengagement of said seat with the corresponding rib of the cylindrical element and the insertion of the latter when assembling.

6. A closure device according to claim 1, wherein said cylindrical element has at its upper edge an outward projecting rib, the outer surface of which has a first upwardly inwardly tapered frusto-conical upper section and a second downwardly inwardly tapered frusto-conical lower section, at the top said body member having a corresponding tapered surface mating with said second tapered section of the rib to prevent said cylindrical element from being removed when assembled.

7 A closure device according to claim 1, wherein a gap is provided in said body member about the plug to facilitate the gripping of said plug.

or i c & 

1. A closure device for general containers, comprising a body member adapted to be sealingly secured to an opening of a container, an open-ended hollow cylindrical element extending longitudinally within and from a bore in said body member, a closure plug constructed of the same material and integral with said body member and severable therefrom by means of an interconnecting tear away guarantee seal circular strip having a tab extending therefrom by which said seal may be torn away to sever the connection between said body member and said closure plug, said closure plug being removably secured to one end of said element to provide a closure therefore, said element being configured so that when said seal is torn away said element may be moved through said body member from a normal position to an extracted position, and means for preventing a complete exit of said element from said body member in said extracted position.
 2. A closure device according to claim 1, wherein said element is provided at one end with an outer thread mating with a corresponding auxiliary thread in the bore of said body member, the other end of said hollow element being provided with an outwardly projecting portion to provide for a stop abutment against the lower surface of said body member in order to prevent said cylindrical element from completely exiting.
 3. A closure device according to claim 1, wherein said plug is provided with an outer thread mating with a corresponding auxiliary thread inside said hollow cylindrical element.
 4. A closure device according to claim 3, further provided with clamping means for the hollow cylindrical element at its extracted position, said means comprising an outer circular rib formed adjacent the lower end of said cylindrical element, said rib engaging a corresponding annular seat in the bore of said body member at the lower edge thereof.
 5. A closure device according to claim 4, wherein a circular slot is provided in said body member at said annular seat, so that said seat is formed on a resiliently deformable axial flange to facilitate the engagement and disengagement of said seat with the corresponding rib of the cylindrical element and the insertion of the latter when assembling.
 6. A closure device according to claim 1, wherein said cylindrical element has at its upper edge an outward projecting rib, the outer surface of which has a first upwardly inwardly tapered frusto-conical upper section and a second downwardly inwardly tapered frusto-conical lower section, at the top said body member having a corresponding tapered surface mating with said second tapered section of the rib to prevent said cylindrical element from being removed when assembled.
 7. A closure device according to claim 1, wherein a gap is provided in said body member about the plug to facilitate the gripping of said plug. 